Boat



May 21, 1968 L Wl @REIG ET AL 3,383,720

BOAT

Filed Jan. l5, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJ` LTA/nfs W. 6AM-v6 May 21, 1968 W. GRElG ET AL BOAT 4 sheetg -Sheet 2 Filed Jan. l5, 1963 INVENTOR` JAM/IES nf. 6195/6 fau/.f- J. @Aanv/06f" BY May 21, l968 i W, GREG ET Al.

BOAT

Filed Jan. 15, 1965 4 Sheeis-Sheet 3 1N VENTOR` May 21, 1968 J. w. GREIG ET Ar. 3,383,720

BOAT

Filed Jan. 15, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR` United States Patent C) 3,383,720 BOAT .lames W. Greig, Grosse Pointe Park, and Leslie J.

Berridge, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Woodall Industries, Incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 251,620 Claims. (Cl. 9 6) This invention relates to improvements in small boats and particularly to the hull of the boat.

An object is to provide a small boat adapted for propulsion by paddle, oars, sail, or outboard motor, and particularly a hull for a boat of this character.

Primarily an object is to provide such a boat hull formed of plastic and having an air chamber constituting a structural part thereof and rendering the same normally unsinkable.

Another object is to provide such a hull of light weight, inexpensive construction, simple design, attractive ap pearance, strong and rugged structure, and so built as to be easily manipulated and propelled.

More specifically an object is the provision of a boat hull of the character described which is formed of two plastic sheets shaped to provide inner and outer hull sections. These sections are hermetically secured together to provide an air chamber compartment as a part of the hull structure which renders the boat normally unsinkable and thereby provides a boat particularly adaptable for the use of small children.

This boat hull, while embodying air chamber wall portions and formed of suitable sheet material such as plastic or the like is so designed as to provide supporting means for various attachments such as oarlocks, an outboard motor bracket, rudder mounting, leeboard mountings, and spar and rigging mountings which may be securely fastened to said supporting means without perforating the walls of the hull which constitute the wall of the air chamber thereof.

Another object is the provision of a boat hull of the character set forth wherein the hull bottom is so formed and yshaped through the provision of hollow side wall areas which project downwardly into submergence in the water below the central area of the bottom of the hull when the boat is afloat as to facilitate the steering of the boat. Such downwardly projecting hollow side walls serve the same general purpose as to steering as a keel or a centerboard would.

A further object is the provision of a hull of the character described wherein the inner and the outer hull sections are so formed and secured together as to provide a hull having such air chamber side wall portions and having a bottom portion extending between said hollow side wall portions and which is sufliciently strong and rigid as to lend the required stiffness and strength to permit the boat hull to be used for the various purposes of a row boat, sail boat, or outboard motor boat.

More particularly the inner and outer hull sections which make up the complete hull are generally complementary and their outer margins are secure-d together in such a manner as to provide hollow side wall flotation chambers joined together by the strong and rigid bottom portion. More specifically the outer circumferential margins of these two sections of the hull are provided with angcs, which flanges are fused or otherwise secured together to build up a hull structure having her metically sealed air chambers of the character herein described. These flanges or rather `the combined flange formed by the two flanges constitutes a strong ange encircling the hull and designed to serve as a bumper flange and place for attachment of various devices such as oarlocks, rudder support, spar bracket support, rigging, and the like.

PIce

This boat hull is not only designed to carry attachments are hereinabove described but attachments adapted to be so carried are provided as herein set forth.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features will more fully appear from the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a boat hull embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the boat hull shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan of the after end of the boat hull shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of they stern of the hull shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of FIG. 1 with the life line removed;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective through a portion of the bottom of the hull shown in FIGS. l, 4, and 5;

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 11 11 of FIG. 12 showing certain of the parts in elevation;

FIG. l2 is an elevation of the hull heretofore described provided with a spar, a sail and rudder and leeboards;

FIG. 13 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a horizontal sectional view looking downwardly on a fragment of the bottom of the hull in plan; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary `sectional view taken on the line it-15 of FIG. 14.

The boat hull shown in the gures of the drawing is formed of two plastic sheets though it is apparent that other suitable material such as metal might be used. These two sheets are stamped into the contours shown to provide an upper and inner hull section and a lower and outer hull section 22. Each of these two sections is so shaped as to inclu-de a circumferential outwardly projecting marginal ange. The flange of section 20 is indicated as 24 and the flange of section 22 is indicated as 26 as shown particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5. These two sections are disposed one within and above the other as shown and the two anges 24 and 26 are fused together so as to provide a hermetic seal of the space between the two sections and secure the sections together.

The contour of the two sections is such as shown particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5. There is a hollow air lled side wall chamber which encircles the hull. FIG. 4 shows the two opposed side wall hull chambers indicated as 28 and 39. rIhese side wall chambers are of substantial size and project downwardly into submergence in the water below the bottom of the hull identified in FIG. 4 by the numeral 32 when the boat is aoat. FIG. 5 shows the hollow air tight bow portion 34 and the hollow air tight stern portion 3e. These four portions hereinabove referred to, namely, the two hollow side wall portions and the hollow bow and stern portions are so formed as to connect and communicate with each other as here shown, though it is apparent that such could be separated into several separate compartments through use of partitions if desired.

The bottom of the hull identified generally as 32 cornprises an upper lamination 3S which is a part of the upper and inner hull section 20, and a lower lamination which is a part of the lower and outer hull section 22.

These two laminations as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 overlie each other and are fused together at the points where corrugations cross as shown particularly in FIG. 10. This forms a bottom portion for the hull which is relatively strong and rigid and ties the hollow air filled portions of the hull securely and rigidly together.

FIG. 10 shows in detail this bottom structure. The upper lamination 38 is shown as corrugated crosswise in FIGS. l and 3, the lower lamination 40 is shown as corrugated fore and aft in FIGS. 4 and 5. Due to this method of corrugating and the securement of the nodes of the corrugations together a peculiarly strong and rigid construction is provided. The fore and aft corrugating of the outer surface of the bottom and the crosswise corrugating of the upper inner surface of the bottom are of advantage.

The marginal flanges 24 and 26 of the upper and lower hull sections respectively, when fused together as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, form a double thickness flange indicated as 42 in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 12. This double thickness flange serves as a support to carry all of the attachments which may be desired to be mounted upon the hull as hereinafter more specifically described, so that it is not necessary to perforate the side walls of the air chamber portions of the boat.

The flange 42 has sufficient strength and width to accommodate such attachments. It may also be provided with grommets 44 within apertures as shown. FIG. 9 shows an opening provided with a grommet 44 through which a life line 46 shown in FIG. 1 may be passed. This life line serves as a handle which may be taken hold of to lift the hull and it may have sufhcient slack as shown at 48 at the bow of the hull to serve as a painter or for the attachment of a painter.

FIG. 7 illustrates a filter plug 50 which is shown as sealed between the two layers of the flange at the after end of the boat. It might be at any portion of the boat hull, but FIG. shows it at the after end. This plug is air permeable but water impermeable. Such filters are common in the industry. One variety is a sintered bronze powder filter. Such insures that the interior of the hollow air tight chambers may exhaust air if the temperature goes very high and the pressure raises or may take in air under reverse situation but seals such chamber against admission of water.

This particular boat hull may serve the purpose of a small boat to be paddled like a canoe, or it may be rowed with oars. FIGS. 1, 5, and 6 show oarlocks 52 secured to the combined flange 42 by bolts or rivets 54. FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 also show the upper section of the hull as provided forwardly with a depression 56 which may serve as a seat or storage space. It is apparent that with the sections of the hull stamped out of two plastic sheets they might be contoured as was felt desirable merely by shaping the dies that were used to form such sections differently.

The boat may be used as a motor boat and in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, a motor boat bracket 57 (FIGS. 1 and 5) is shown as secured thereto. This bracket as appears in these figures comprises a stern portion 58 and two side portions 60 which are secured together by corner pieces 62 to form a generally U-shaped bracket the side portions of which overlie the flange 42 on opposite sides of the boat adjacent to the stern and are secured thereto by bolts, rivets, or the like indicated as 64. The stern portion 58 of the bracket may rest upon the stern flange as shown in FIG. 5. The stern portion 58 may be reinforced by a plate 66 so as to provide a suitable part to which an outboard motor clamp may be secured.

The boat may also be utilized as a sail boat and such is shown in FIG. 12. In this figure the boat is provided with a rudder 68. This rudder may be secured by a pivotal mounting 70 to the encircling boat flange 42. It may also be provided with leeboards, one upon each side of the hull. Such a leeboard is shown in FIG. 12 at 72. It is understood that a similar leeboard is mounted upon the opposite side of the hull. These leeboards are supported upon a bracket which comprises a cross member 74 carried by depending bracket attachments or legs at its opposite ends indicated by the numeral 76. These legs are inverted U-shaped attachments and have their two ends secured by bolts 7S or the like to the combined circumferential flange 42 as shown in FIG. 13.

The leeboard 72 is pivotcd upon the end of the cross piece by a pin S0 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. One is shown in FIG. 12 but such would be provided at both ends of the cross piece 74. To maintain the leeboards at determined elevated positions FIG. 11 shows two bracket elements 82 secured by bolts 84 to the leeboard and so spaced apart as to engage over the combined flange 42. These are L-shaped bracket elements as shown in FIG. 11. They arc perforated to receive a pin 86 and this pin extends through an aperture in the combined flange 42. The aperture may have a grommet 88 reinforcing the same as shown in connection with the grommet illustrated in FIG. 9 at 44. This pin S6 is removable. lt may be provided with a cotter pin 87 to maintain it in place. It is apparent that the leeboards may be thus mounted when desired and removed as desired.

The spar which carries the sail is indicated as 90. It may be of any character deemed suitable for the size of the hull. The floor of the hull may be provided with a reinforcing block 92 secured thereto and having a socket to receive the lower end of the spar as shown in FIG. 14. 0n the other hand the spar may be received merely in a socket provided in the corrugated upper lamination 38 of the floor as shown in FIG. 15. The cross member of the bracket which carries the leeboards hereinbefore referred to as 74 is shown in FIG. 13 as provided with a yoke attachment 94 secured by bolts 96 to the cross member and through which the tubular spar is shown in FIG. 13 as extending. This provides a suitable support for the spar. It is apparent, however, that if desired, stays of any suitable character might be attached to the spar and secured to cleats or grommets in the flange 42 as is common in sail boat construction. In FIG. 12 the sail is shown as a conventional triangular sail 98 adapted to be hoisted by a line 100 extending from a connection near the peak of the sail down the spar to a suitable pulley or the like not shown on the hull. The main sheet 102 is shown as extending from a cleat 104 as illustrated in FIG. 12. It is obvious that a sail boat hull might be rigged in any desired fashion. The main features of the invention herein claimed relate to the hull itself.

What is claimed is:

1. A boat hull formed of two plastic sheets, one sheet being shaped to provide an outer and lower hull section and the other sheet being shaped to provide an inner and upper hull section, each section having a marginal flange projecting outwardly, said two flanges being superposed when the upper and inner section is disposed within the outer and lower section, said two flanges being fused together providing a hollow boat hull the two side wall portions of which constitute hermetically sealed hollow chambers, said two fused flanges constituting a support for the attachment of parts to the hull without penetrating the wall of the hollow chambers of the hull, said boat hull characterized in that the bottom portion of the outer and lower section is corrugated fore and aft.

2. A boat hull as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the bottom portion of the upper and inner section is corrugated crosswise.

3. A boat hull as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said bottom portion of the outer and lower section is disposed spaced upwardly above the bottom surface of said two side wall portions which constitute said hollow chambers.

4. The invention defined by claim 1, characterized in that corrugations of the outer and lower hull section are secured to the bottom portion of the inner and upper 2,370,069. hull section. 2,698,447

S. The invention as dened in claim 2, characterized 2,950,701 in that the corrugations of the bottom portions of the two 3,041,994

hull sections are secured together at their crossing points. 5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,412 7/1918 Flynn 9 11 2,334,072 11/1943 cooper 9 210 Patten 9 2 Potts 9 2 De Stefani 9-6 X Brodie 114-39 MILTON BUCHLER, Prmaly Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examiner.

A. MITCHELL, D. P. NOON, R. A. DORNON,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. A BOAT HULL FORMED OF TWO PLASTIC SHEETS, ONE SHEET BEING SHAPED TO PROVIDE AN OUTER AND LOWER HULL SECTION AND THE OTHER SHEET BEING SHAPED TO PROVIDE AN INNER AND UPPER HULL SECTION, EACH SECTION HAVING A MARGINAL FLANGE PROJECTION OUTWARDLY, SAID TWO FLANGES BEING SUPERPOSED WHEN THE UPPER AND INNER SECTION IS DISPOSED WITHIN THE OUTER AND LOWER SECTION, SAID TWO FLANGES BEING FUSED TOGETHER PROVIDING A HOLLOW BOAT HULL THE TWO SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF WHICH CONSITUTE HERMETICALLY SEALED HOLLOW CHAMBERS, SAID TWO FUSED FLANGES CONSTITUTING A SUPPORT FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF PARTS TO THE HULL WITHOUT PENETRATING THE WALL OF THE HOLLOW CHAMBERS OF THE HULL, SAID BOAT HULL CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE OUTER AND LOWER SECTION IS CORRUGATED FORE AND AFT. 